Whether you’re planning for yourself or for your parents, this easy-to-read handbook will help you get started. Dig in and get expert advice and recommendations on how to prepare for the financial, legal, medical, and personal considerations that come into play as you age. Prepare today with info from the experts at AARP and other specialists in long-term care.

Plan without pressure — discover how to plan for all aspects of life in an easy, well-considered manner

A place to call home — get details on staying in your house, choosing assisted living, living with family, and much more

The financial realities — assess what you have and what you’ll need, from insurance to legal considerations

The medical side — get the lowdown on finding quality medical services

Special considerations — find out about services for military veterans, resources for family caregivers, and LGBT options

Details on understanding the variety of home healthcare agencies and what Medicare covers

Information on palliative care and hospice care

Synopsis

Planning for Long-Term Care For Dummies gives readers expert advice and recommendations on how to best prepare for the financial costs of long-term care. It covers both nursing home and at home care and the costs associated with each type of service.

Synopsis

Expert advice on planning for the financial costs of long-term care

Long-term care is a range of services and supports you, or a loved one, may need to meet health or personal needs over a long period of time. Most long-term care is not medical care, but rather assistance with the basic personal tasks of everyday life, sometimes called "Activities of Daily Living," such as bathing, dressing, using the toilet, transferring (to or from bed or a chair), caring for incontinence, and eating.

Planning for Long-Term Care For Dummies—in partnership with AARP—gives you expert advice and recommendations on how to best prepare for the financial costs of long-term care.

Covers both nursing home and at home care and the costs associated with each type of service

Perhaps the greatest expense facing those over 65 is the prospect of long-term care

Advice form the trusted experts on aging—AARP

If you're looking for trusted information on how to prepare for the possibility that you or a loved one will need long-term care, this sensitive and authoritative guide has it covered.

Synopsis

Expert advice on planning for your own or a relative’s future care needs

As we live longer and healthier lives, planning for the long term has never been more important. Planning gives you more control, but it’s not easy to find accurate information and answers to your questions. That’s where AARP’s Planning For Long-Term Care For Dummies comes in.This comprehensive guide gives you questions to ask yourself and others about how best to achieve your goals, whether you have immediate needs or can take some time to sort out the possibilities. The book

Covers home modifications so that you can stay at home safely for as long as you like

Lays out the opportunities and costs associated with independent living, assisted living, and other options

Gives you a range of driving and transportation alternatives

Sorts out the various sources of care at home

Helps you navigate the healthcare system

Reviews the legal documents you should prepare and update

Helps you determine whether you need long-term care insurance

Offers checklists and other resources to help you make decisions

Gives you guidance on how to talk to your family about sensitive issues

If you're looking for trusted information on how to prepare for the future care needs for yourself or a relative, this sensitive, realistic, and authoritative guide will start you on the right road.

About the Author

Carol Levine directs the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York. She writes frequently about aging, health, long-term care, and family caregiving for consumer and professional audiences.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Long-Term Care 5

Chapter 1: Looking Ahead: The Big Picture 7

Chapter 2: A Personal Inventory of Needs and Preferences 21

Chapter 3: Researching Options for Services 29

Chapter 4: Making Decisions: A Family Affair 41

Part II: Long-Term Care in Different Settings 51

Chapter 5: Aging in Place 53

Chapter 6: Independent and Assisted Living and Other Group Settings 69